Clarification

[onyxblue1.livejournal.com]

It seems that some people are having great difficulty with writing this week's topic, so I'd like to clarify some things.

1. For any given topic, please understand that you don't have to write about anything if you'd rather not. If your biggest mistake (taking this week's topic for an example) was shooting JFK, and blaming it on Lee Harvey Oswald, but you'd rather not incriminate yourself, no one will know if you just write about cheating on a final exam in high school instead.

2. There is nothing in the rules about writing non-fiction. In Season Two, there were two entries which were clearly fictional. There's also nothing in the rules about writing prose. Your entry could be poetry. There was at least one entry in Season Two which was a poem. As long as you stick to the topic, you're okay.

3. I believe there was a precedent set (and clauderainsrm may say I'm wrong about this) where if you post an entry, and decide you'd rather use something else, you may delete the original link and post a link to the new entry, as long as you make it in by the deadline. In other words, if you posted something and have decided it's too personal, or it's just not good enough, or whatever, you have time to write something new.

I'm sure there are "true confession" type communities on LiveJournal, but that's not what LJ Idol is about. We want you to have fun, not worry that other people will think less of you for what you've written.

EDIT TO ADD: If you do write a new entry, please e-mail me at my username* at livejournal.com. I do have all the comments on the entry posts e-mailed to me, but it's possible that I would miss one, and direct people to your original entry by mistake.

*that would be onyxblue1, which hopefully robots can't figure out.

Comments

[lordrexfear.livejournal.com]

You've inspired me to write a totally fictional comedy entry for this week's topic, but I wouldn't want it to be my official entry. I really like the deep honesty I discovered in myself with my first entry.

How would I do an ALTERNATE, not for competition entry that I know the community wouldn't miss? I think it'd get lost in The Green Room and that'd be a shame. :( ;)

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

actually onyxblue1 and I were just talking about that sort of thing.

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

1. Absolutely. It should go without saying, but apparently not. This is a contest, to be used how you see fit to use it. If you want self-discovery, there is plenty of space for that. If you don't, well there's room for that too.

2. as I recall *every* entry from mezzominty in Season 2 was a poem.

3. yep, that's the precedent.

[onyxblue1.livejournal.com]

Oh, no, does this mean I'm not getting your e-mail again?

[onyxblue1.livejournal.com]

I thought every entry he did was a poem, but I didn't want to take the time to check, 'cause I'm lazy. I distinctly remember the "vacation" entry being the poem about the ant, which was absolutely beautiful.

[onyxblue1.livejournal.com]

My suggestion, as things stand right now, would be to post a link to it in the comments on the voting. That can get pretty lengthy, too, but shouldn't be nearly as bad as the Green Room posts.

Or, if you're really nice to me, I might say that I won't mind if you post it in a reply to your real entry comment. (Did that make sense?) You'd have to very clearly mark it as not being for competition, so as not to confuse anyone. But I think to get more people to see it, it might be better in the voting post.

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

apparently so!

[the-original1.livejournal.com]

you may delete the original link and post a link to the new entry, as long as you make it in by the deadline

And somehow bring it to your attention, so you haven't copied the old link and missed the new one.

[onyxblue1.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah, good point.

[lordrexfear.livejournal.com]

What must I do that=being nice? Let me know. You want brownies? Need errands done? Laundry? Dog walked? :)

My second "I really enjoyed writing this, but it just can't be my real entry entry" is near finished and I think people would enjoy it and also be able to look at this whole topic in a new way. So thanks for giving me pointers/permission. :)

[http://users.livejournal.com/astriana_/]

Alright, with these points out there, now I'm a little sorry I didn't enter this time... *pout*

[onyxblue1.livejournal.com]

I was wondering why you didn't, actually. There's always next time!

[onyxblue1.livejournal.com]

Oooh, brownies . . . of course, if you did that, then clauderainsrm would expect cookies.

And I think having something for people to look at and see how they can work within a topic is wonderful. Maybe I should do a post pointing people to past entries that were unconventional to give them ideas.

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

or just put the links somewhere to various unconventional posts. Although really, it's up to individuals to think outside the box so hopefully they are doing that.

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

if we survive this time!!!*g*

[onyxblue1.livejournal.com]

True. And it would be less work for me to not do it.

[bettybaker.livejournal.com]

*mops your brow*
*hands you peeled grape*
*attends to onyxblue1 as well*

I'll be off harvesting palm fronds to wave over you. Keep up the good work!

[onyxblue1.livejournal.com]

*hands you peeled grape*

Should we be calling you "Beulah," then?

[bettybaker.livejournal.com]

I was thinking more along the lines of scantily-clad slave-girl, but I have been called "Auntie Betty" by more long-haired twenty-something young men than I strictly care for.

[onyxblue1.livejournal.com]

I was thinking of Mae West (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024166/quotes). Although Gertrude Howard was actually Beulah, but Mae West is the one who said, "Beulah, peel me a grape."

[oceansedge.livejournal.com]

Gods I gotta say... voting in this one is even tougher than writing for it.

I want to vote for them all... and I suppose I could, but that would sorta defeat the purpose of voting wouldn't it?

The stories are all so personal

It's like not voting for one, or another, is invalidating another person's pain. *ugggh* So ... while no one person's story is any more valid than another's, one can only vote on storytelling.